Lara Gillespie won the 2026 Argenta Classic in Deurne, sprinting to victory ahead of Maggie Coles-Lyster and Lonneke Uneken at the end of the Belgian one-day race. The UAE Team ADQ rider came out on top in a fast finish, with Canadian champion Coles-Lyster taking second for Human Powered Health and Uneken completing the podium for VolkerWessels.
The result gives Gillespie another important one-day victory in a season that has underlined her growing status as one of the most dangerous finishers in the peloton. The Irish rider has already shown her ability across punchy Classics, technical run-ins and reduced finishes, and the Argenta Classic gave her another chance to combine positioning, speed and timing.
For Coles-Lyster, second place continued a strong run of sprint results in 2026. Uneken’s third place also confirmed VolkerWessels’ continued strength in the Belgian and Dutch one-day calendar, where the team has often been able to contest the sharp end against WorldTour opposition.
Gillespie times it right in Deurne
The Argenta Classic, also known as the Argenta Classic-2 Districtenpijl, is a relatively young race but already has a clear identity. Held on an urban circuit in Antwerp, linking the districts of Deurne and Ekeren, it is a race where positioning, repeated accelerations and late organisation can matter as much as pure sprint speed.
That made Gillespie a natural contender. The UAE Team ADQ rider has developed into a versatile road racer after years of track success, and her speed has increasingly translated into major results on the road. In Deurne, she had to navigate a finale that was always likely to suit riders with both sharp handling and a powerful finishing kick.
The final sprint brought together three riders with proven speed. Coles-Lyster arrived with the confidence of a rider who has won at national level and repeatedly placed well in high-pressure sprints. Uneken, meanwhile, has long been a capable finisher in fast one-day races and stage-race finishes.
Gillespie still found the space and timing to win. Whether from a reduced group or a controlled finale, the Irish rider had enough to beat Coles-Lyster to the line and add another significant victory to UAE Team ADQ’s 2026 campaign.
Argenta Classic rewards positioning and speed
The Argenta Classic is not one of the oldest Belgian races, but it has quickly become a useful test for fast riders who can survive repeated circuit racing. First held in 2022, the event sits in the UCI 1.1 category and has already produced a varied winners list.
Its Antwerp setting gives the race a different rhythm to the longer, hillier Classics. The city-circuit format can make it hard for a breakaway to stay away if the strongest sprint teams remain organised, but it can also create constant pressure through corners, road furniture and positioning battles.
That balance explains why the race often favours riders who are more than straightforward bunch sprinters. The finishers need speed, but they also need to handle the earlier stress and hold position deep into the final kilometres.
Gillespie fits that profile well. Her track background gives her a natural feel for positioning and acceleration, while her recent road development has made her more robust in races where repeated surges can reduce the options before the final sprint.
Coles-Lyster takes second after strong 2026 form
Maggie Coles-Lyster’s second place was another reminder of how consistent she has become in fast finishes. The Canadian has rebuilt strongly after injury setbacks and has looked increasingly comfortable in technical, high-speed road finales.
For Human Powered Health, the podium also continued the team’s record in this race. Coles-Lyster’s second place keeps the squad prominent in an event that suits fast, organised line-ups.
Coles-Lyster is particularly effective in finishes where the sprint is not a perfectly straight drag race. Her track background gives her the ability to hold speed through corners, judge gaps and react quickly when the sprint opens. Those skills are valuable in a race like the Argenta Classic, where the final kilometres can be more about timing than simply having the biggest lead-out.
She could not get past Gillespie this time, but second place still marks a strong result in a field where several teams had the type of rider suited to the finish.
Uneken gives VolkerWessels another podium
Lonneke Uneken completed the podium for VolkerWessels, adding another strong Belgian one-day result for the Dutch team. Uneken has been a valuable option for the squad, bringing WorldTour experience and a proven sprint from her years at the top level.
Her third place in Deurne was the kind of result VolkerWessels have made a habit of collecting in this part of the calendar. The team is often well positioned in Belgian and Dutch races, and Uneken gives them a rider capable of finishing the job when the race comes back together late.
The podium also showed the balance of the final. Gillespie brought WorldTour class for UAE Team ADQ, Coles-Lyster carried Human Powered Health’s sprint strength, and Uneken ensured that the strongest continental teams were still represented.
For Uneken, third place may feel like a missed chance if she was in the final sprint with a clear shot at the win, but it is still another useful marker in a race that suits her qualities.
Gillespie continues her Classics rise
Gillespie’s victory is the latest step in her development from track star into a major road threat. She has already built a reputation as one of Ireland’s most complete riders, with national titles, international track success and a growing list of road results.
Her spring campaign had already shown that she could contest Belgian-style one-day races. The Argenta Classic now adds another clear win in a race where the finish suited her combination of tactical sense and acceleration.
For UAE Team ADQ, this is also a valuable result. The team has several high-profile options across stage races and Classics, but Gillespie gives them a different route to victory in fast one-day races. She does not need a pure bunch sprint to be dangerous, and she does not need a hard climbing race to create separation. Races that sit between those two extremes are increasingly becoming her territory.
That is what made Deurne such a good opportunity. The Argenta Classic is controlled enough to keep the sprinters interested, but awkward enough to reward riders who can cope with more than a drag-strip finale. Gillespie did both.
A podium built on speed and track instincts
There was also a clear track-cycling thread running through the podium. Gillespie and Coles-Lyster have both built major parts of their careers around track speed and repeated high-intensity efforts, while Uneken also has experience across both track and road.
That mattered in a race like the Argenta Classic. Urban circuit races often reward riders who can accelerate repeatedly, hold position through stress and sprint after a day of constant interruption. It is not simply about the final 200 metres.
Gillespie was the best of that group in Deurne. Coles-Lyster was close enough to take second, and Uneken made sure the podium was filled by riders with the speed and racing instincts the course demanded.
The result also adds another layer to an increasingly competitive mid-season one-day calendar. With WorldTour squads, ProTeams and ambitious continental teams all targeting these races, the margins are small and the finals are often unforgiving.
UAE Team ADQ take the win
For UAE Team ADQ, the Argenta Classic victory keeps momentum moving in the right direction. Gillespie’s win gives the team another one-day success and reinforces her role as one of their strongest cards for fast, technical races.
It also gives the race another high-quality winner. Since its first edition in 2022, the Argenta Classic has established itself as a race for fast riders who can survive the stress of Belgian circuit racing. Gillespie now joins that list after beating two proven finishers.
Coles-Lyster and Uneken both had the speed to make the podium, but Gillespie had the finish to win it. In a race decided by timing, positioning and late power, the Irish rider got all three right.
Argenta Classic 2026 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Thomas Braun
